Nov 5, 2026, 1:52 PM ET

Nov 5, 2026, 1:48 PM ET

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz will get the start under center for Monday night's primetime matchup with the Bills, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. Starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who has completed less than 60% of his passes in back-to-back weeks and has thrown only five touchdowns across his six starts, is dealing with what the team has called a "sore hamstring". Wentz has appeared in two 2026 contests, throwing for 133 yards and three touchdowns in relief of Murray in Week 1 before leading the Vikings to victory over the Bears despite throwing for only 143 yards and zero touchdowns in Week 2. Four-time All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who currently ranks as the fantasy WR24, had by far his most productive outing of the season in that Week 1 pairing with Wentz, recording season-highs of eight receptions, 92 yards, and two scores.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Ian Rapoport

Nov 5, 2026, 1:37 PM ET

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (concussion) is still not practicing on Thursday after reporting delayed concussion symptoms following a Week 8 loss to the Steelers and landing in the NFL's concussion protocol. Watson has been the fantasy QB17 through eight weeks, but if he is unable to play in a Week 9 matchup with the Saints, Cleveland will turn to second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders threw for less than 200 yards per game across his seven starts in 2025, while averaging a single touchdown per start. He did, however, form an obvious connection with tight end Harold Fannin Jr., while his propensity for throwing underneath could also help provide a usable fantasy floor for rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion Jr.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Daniel Oyefusi

Nov 5, 2026, 1:32 PM ET

Nov 5, 2026, 1:25 PM ET

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (concussion) is absent from his second straight practice on Thursday as he deals with the concussion that landed him on Wednesday's injury report. Wilson sustained a head injury in a Week 8 loss to the Raiders and has since landed in the NFL's concussion protocol. Should he miss Sunday's Week 9 matchup with the Chiefs, fantasy managers can look to both Adonai Mitchell and rookie Omar Cooper Jr. to see expanded roles, each having featured in recent spike weeks. Mitchell caught seven passes for 142 yards and a score in his first game back from a multi-week absence, while it was Cooper who went for 115 yards and a touchdown in a Week 7 loss to the Dolphins.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Rich Cimini

Nov 5, 2026, 1:13 PM ET

Returning from a three-week absence, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring, knee) led the team with seven receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown in a Week 8 loss to the Broncos, and he has now topped double-digit fantasy points in his last three full games played. While he has struggled to stay on the field since the Chiefs selected him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Rice has consistently proven himself a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and he could emerge as a second-half fantasy difference maker through steady volume and a reliably high floor. Facing a relatively stout Jets defense in Week 9, Rice is RotoBaller's WR17.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 5, 2026, 12:54 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor said on Thursday that he did not request a trade, according to Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. Taylor has been the hottest name around the league with the NFL trade deadline quickly approaching next Tuesday. The Colts have already traded Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson and Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and the 27-year-old Pro Bowl running back could be the next to go. Indianapolis is not going to just give Taylor away, though, and it could require two first-round picks to secure his services. It remains to be seen if a contending team will step up to meet the Colts' high asking price for Taylor. For now, he is still a member of the Colts and will have a great bounce-back opportunity this weekend against the visiting Dallas Cowboys and their shaky run defense. JT had a season-low eight rushing attempts for 23 yards and caught four passes for 24 yards in the blowout loss to the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8, but he remains a high-end RB1 talent in fantasy and should be started in all formats if he is still with the Colts for kickoff of Sunday's game against Dallas. Despite the Colts struggling as a team, Taylor is the RB5 in half-PPR scoring in 2026 with 610 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, adding 202 receiving yards.--Keith Hernandez
Source: 107.5 The Fan - Kevin Bowen

Nov 5, 2026, 12:43 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers continue to work with the NFL to navigate the situation surrounding wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who has hired new representation in an attempt to get reinstated back into the league for the remainder of the 2026 season, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "This is kind of a unique situation, not one you have, so there's really no playbook. But I always go back to what's my charge, what's my job? My job is to look out for the best interest of the 49ers. And as such, in this particular situation, we're working with the NFL Management Council to navigate through a different situation. And so it's fluid. I'm going to kind of leave it at that because I've been recommended to do so, and I think it's the right thing to do for a pathway for both sides here that works... We can talk a little more in detail about the process because it's kind of a fluid situation." The 28-year-old former first-rounder has been on the left-squad list since late last year, but the former first-rounder is now fully healthy after missing all of last year due to a torn ACL in his knee and is ready to join a team, even if the 49ers still do not want him back amidst all of their WR injuries. As for Aiyuk's rest-of-season fantasy football outlook, that is also a fluid situation. He had two straight 1,000-yard seasons before getting hurt in 2024, but we have no idea how he will look post-injury, or whether he will have a strong market if he ends up being released by San Francisco.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner

Nov 5, 2026, 12:35 PM ET

Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (foot) was not seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, according to Tashan Reed of The Washington Post. Burks also missed the first practice of the week on Wednesday due to a foot injury, putting his status up in the air for Sunday's Week 9 contest at home against the Los Angeles Rams. The Commanders are already without Terry McLaurin (knee) for the rest of the 2026 season, so they can ill-afford to lose another valuable member of their aerial attack, especially against a formidable defense like the Rams'. The 26-year-old Burks did not take part in the first two practices last week either, before returning to a limited session on Friday and then playing in the Sunday night win over the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Burks played 67% of the offensive snaps in that contest and caught three passes for 81 yards. He has become a deep-league flex option with McLaurin out for the year, but he will be battling rookie Antonio Williams for the WR2 role behind veteran Stefon Diggs. If Burks cannot play this weekend, Van Jefferson, Dyami Brown, and Luke McCaffrey could step up for more snaps behind Diggs and Williams.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Washington Post - Tashan Reed

Nov 5, 2026, 12:29 PM ET

The New York Jets could use a hot-hand approach in their backfield between the returning Breece Hall (quadriceps) and Braelon Allen in the Week 9 game this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. "It's a great problem to have. You got two No. 1 backs. Breece is obviously the bell cow -- he's our guy -- but it'll be a mix. And as far as hot hand, not hot hand, I think that's always an in-game, feel thing," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. With Hall missing the last five games, Allen has stepped up in a big way, carrying the ball 93 times for 504 yards and two rushing touchdowns while adding 13 catches for 70 yards on 17 targets in the passing game. He has certainly earned a bigger role in the backfield moving forward, but if the Jets do not trade Hall before Tuesday's deadline, the two will have to coexist for the rest of the season. Both Hall and Allen will be involved on Sunday in a tough matchup, which means both of their fantasy ceilings will be lowered in a shared backfield with a potential hot-hand approach. Allen is probably the slightly better fantasy play this weekend, if only because of the fact that he has been on a roll over the last five weeks.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Rich Cimini

Nov 5, 2026, 12:25 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (foot) returned to practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's session, according to Pewter Report. Egbuka has missed the past two games while dealing with foot and concussion injuries, although he cleared the league's concussion protocol late last week. He was limited during Wednesday and Thursday's practices last week before sitting out Friday and being ruled out against Atlanta. The second-year receiver worked with a trainer on the side Wednesday before returning to practice Thursday, an encouraging development ahead of Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Egbuka has caught 28 of 49 targets for 240 yards and two touchdowns across six games this season. His availability remains uncertain, and Sunday's 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff presents an additional challenge for fantasy managers. Those considering Egbuka for their lineups should have a late-game replacement available if his status remains questionable.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Pewter Report

Nov 5, 2026, 12:12 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Thursday that he was not expecting wide receiver Jalen McMillan (knee) back in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears, and the team is on bye next week, so the next window for him to return from Injured Reserve is when the Bucs return to practice in two weeks, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. McMillan's injury was reported as a six- to eight-week injury initially, so it is still within that window. The 24-year-old aggravated a PCL sprain in his left knee in Week 3 and was placed on IR, and he will not be back until sometime after Tampa's Week 10 bye. With Emeka Egbuka (foot) on the verge of a return from a two-game absence and the Buccaneers' passing attack on life support the last two weeks, even when McMillan returns, he is not going to be a very popular waiver-wire pickup in fantasy leagues as he battles for a depth role behind Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. In two games played so far in 2026 in his third year in the NFL, McMillan had zero catches on just one target.--Keith Hernandez
Source: FOX Sports - Greg Auman

Nov 5, 2026, 12:09 PM ET

Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant Thursday, matching his designation on Wednesday's estimated injury report ahead of Sunday's Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid. Robinson has missed Atlanta's past two games, with Khalil Herbert serving as the primary backup to Bijan Robinson during his absence. Herbert managed just six carries for 21 yards across those contests, illustrating how little rushing work has been available behind Bijan. Before suffering the injury, Robinson recorded 211 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 53 carries through six games, with all four scores coming in Weeks 3 and 4. His return would give Atlanta another option near the goal line, but his modest workload limits his reliability in fantasy lineups. Even if cleared for Sunday's 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff, Robinson would remain a touchdown-dependent option for deeper leagues.--Bruno Mulé
Source: ProFootballTalk

Nov 5, 2026, 12:00 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has emerged as a speculative trade target for the San Francisco 49ers ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. Chris Simms said Thursday on ProFootballTalk Live that some people around the league are wondering whether San Francisco could pursue Taylor, although there is no confirmation that the 49ers have contacted Indianapolis about a deal. The Colts are reportedly seeking a compensation package comparable to what San Francisco surrendered to acquire Christian McCaffrey in 2022, but interested teams have yet to meet that asking price. Taylor has rushed for 610 yards and eight touchdowns on 148 carries through eight games this season. A move to San Francisco would create considerable uncertainty about how Taylor and McCaffrey would share opportunities in the short term, while potentially raising questions about McCaffrey's future beyond 2026. For now, the 49ers connection remains speculation rather than a reported negotiation.--Bruno Mulé
Source: ProFootballTalk